Jonny Wilkinson and his international captain Phil Vickery will be among a clutch of England players required to put their battered bodies back on the line this weekend following the latest refusal of the elite clubs to place the national interest ahead of their pursuit of Premiership glory and, in one or two cases, survival.

Within hours of the head coach Brian Ashton naming a 28-man squad for next week's Six Nations game against France it was clear the head coach would be enduring a fraught weekend. Apart from Newcastle naming Wilkinson, Mathew Tait and Toby Flood in their starting XV to face London Irish, Wasps indicated they would also field their strongest possible side against Bristol on Sunday. All of their seven England squad players will be involved.

Given the savage nature of England's 43-13 thrashing in Ireland last weekend it underlines the absurdity of a system which pulls players from bruising pillar to aching post every week while their major rivals put their feet up. Vickery, for example, is set to start for Wasps before embarking on back-to-back assignments against France and Wales within the space of six days. The prospect is enough to make even the toughest of front-row forwards wince.

The clubs, though, are under no obligation to rest anyone and Newcastle are unrepentant. They had intended to start Wilkinson at Bristol a fortnight ago until it became apparent he needed a rest and the director of rugby John Fletcher knows his 10th-placed side could escape the relegation equation with a victory at Irish. "We made the decision at the start of the season that when our England players are available we will play them," said Fletcher.

Ashton has already had one injury blow ahead of the France game following confirmation that Gloucester's full-back Olly Morgan requires surgery on the right shoulder he damaged at Croke Park and will miss the rest of the season including, barring a miraculous recovery, the two-Test tour of South Africa in May. It leaves Josh Lewsey as England's likely full-back against the French and the other 20 players involved in Dublin have, for now, also won a reprieve.

Of the seven additional names, the least familiar is the 21-year-old James Haskell who, along with Harlequins' Nick Easter, now has a chance to put pressure on the incumbents Joe Worsley and Martin Corry. It is a sign of the times when England select three Wasps back-rowers and none of them is called Lawrence Dallaglio. Haskell, who says he does not expect to make the matchday squad, has only started nine Premiership games in his career.

There is also a welcome return following knee surgery for Bath's lock Steve Borthwick, last seen in an England jersey almost 12 months ago. He must be a strong contender for a place alongside either Danny Grewcock or Tom Palmer but otherwise Ashton has kept faith with his existing personnel. The fit-again Jason Robinson and Mark Cueto increase the backline options and Mike Catt offers familiar midfield cover.

Wasps' prop Tim Payne owes his inclusion to Ashton's decision not to rush back either Matt Stevens or Andrew Sheridan, both of whom are still seeking full match fitness. There are plenty of good players in England but most either seem to be recuperating or not quite ready for Test rugby. Charlie Hodgson, Sale's injured fly-half, is one of several in the former category; he will fly to the US tomorrow, in company with Scotland's captain Jason White, for a month of rehabilitation in Vermont with the leading knee specialist Bill Knowles.

In his absence the Rugby Football Union expects Ashton to announce England's starting XV on Tuesday but could not say so definitively last night. The on-field uncertainty visible in Dublin seemingly extends way beyond the touchlines.

Two former England greats, Will Carling and Jeremy Guscott, meanwhile, have come under fire from their former team-mate Kyran Bracken for their unflattering comments about Andy Farrell's performance against Ireland. "They are just headline grabbers," said Bracken. "In my opinion, he played well and has had to endure a lot of unwarranted criticism. If a pack is going backwards at a rate of knots, it always makes Nos 9, 10 and 12 look bad."